1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to track and road wheel assemblies for tracked vehicles, and more particularly, the instant invention relates to track and road wheel assemblies for tracked military vehicles, such as tanks, armored personnel carriers and the like.
2. Technical Considerations and Prior Art
Introduction of mechanically emplaced and air-delivered mines on the modern battlefield has compounded the problem of maintaining the mobility of armored vehicles. Historically, warfare senarios and deployment techniques have limited the use of land mines to certain well defined situations to impede or channel opposing forces. Advance knowledge of mine field locations could permit effective countermeasures using mine-clearing equipment, such as mine-clearing rollers mounted on lead vehicles, projected explosive line charges or, depending on mine density, sacrificing vehicles and uniformed personnel by simply charging over the mine field. Air and artillery delivery capabilities have introduced offensive mining techniques wherein mines are laid at random along approach routes.
Tracked vehicles, such as tanks, can be stopped with relatively small three-pound explosive charges which are easily delivered by airplanes and artillery. Charges of this type cause a mobility failure by knocking out track sections and temporarily stalling armored vehicles, such as tanks, which can then be destroyed by artillery and anti-tank weapons which generally cover a mined area. Vulnerability studies have predicted severe losses of armored combat units due to these new offensive mining techniques.
In view of the aforementioned change in expected battlefield conditions, there is a need for new and improved track configurations for tracked vehicles.